| PATERNITY | The legal acknowledgment of the parental relationship between a man and a child. A child born to the wife during a marriage is presumed to be the husband's child. This concept is the "presumption of lawful paternity", and assigns to the husband complete rights, duties and obligations as to the child. The presumption, however, can be be rebutted by evidence to the contrary, at least prior to a formal court ruling involving the putative paternity (often this is a decree of divorce, annulment, or legal separation). |
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| RESTRAINING ORDERS | A court order whereby a party is required to do, or to refrain from doing, certain acts. The party that fails to adhere to the restraining order faces civil or criminal penalties and may have to pay damages or accept sanctions for failing to follow the court's order. Violations of restraining order are considered serious criminal offenses that merit arrest. |
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| ENFORCEMENT OF DECREES |
Involves the enforcement of a Court order or Judgment by way of a wage garnishments, writs of executions, writs of attachment, writs of sale, abstracts of judgment, liens, and/or a contempt citation. |
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| MILITARY FAMILY ISSUES |
Include protections under the Soldiers and Sailors Relief Act of 1943, the appointment of counsel for deployed service men and women, division of military retirements, division of survivor benefit plans, life insurance issues and the collection of support from the military during the pendency of a divorce. |
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| NAME CHANGES |
The legal act of permanently changing an individual's name. A legal name change requires a Court order and the notice posting of the name change in a newspaper of general circulation. |
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